1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in astonishments
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
were in shock after they heard the news of the death of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in appalls
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
Mom was shocked by the terrible news that her cousin had died in an accident I was shocked to find out that I was the victim of identity theft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surprises
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scares
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shocks
Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That is, a country’s economy was much more likely to be impacted by shocks to nearby countries than by shocks in faraway countries.
—Josh Ederington, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Air cargo will likely be reserved by many shippers to handle supply chain shocks rather than routine shipments.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Make sure the hand massager is completely dry before use after cleaning to avoid electrical shocks.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Renewable fuels offer a domestic alternative — one that is insulated from geopolitical shocks and driven by long-term energy and climate commitments.
—Kip Eideberg, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Investment implications For the most part, the stock market has shrugged off this year's alarming headlines, as geopolitical shocks historically have little lasting impact on equities.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Former detainees and human rights organizations have documented systematic torture and severe abuses inside the facility, including beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged stress positions and other degrading treatment.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Crypto‑market Researchers and Analysts can develop more robust models for forecasting or scenario analysis by including both crypto‑native variables, such as supply, adoption, and network activity, and macro/market-wide variables like liquidity, global economic conditions, and demand shocks.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 30 Jan. 2026
Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That moment is similar to one in the show where another closeted hockey star, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) shocks the world by kissing his secret boyfriend on center ice after winning a championship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
That can change if a patient has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, which shocks the heart back to beating normally.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Violence shocks neighbors Neighbors said the violence unfolded in just seconds.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Rather than comply, Deborah shocks everyone by telling the audience the truth and loses her show.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
The thing that outrages, the thing that shocks, the thing that elicits the greatest response, and the greatest response of all of those emotional reactions is outrage, is fear, is shock, is anger.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Attack shocks in nation with strict gun laws Australia has some of the world's strictest gun control measures, and mass shootings are relatively rare.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Someone’s unexpected behavior might push you to set new boundaries or make a financial move that shocks even you.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
That said, the government has a decades-old playbook on how to get workers through economic shocks.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That is, a country’s economy was much more likely to be impacted by shocks to nearby countries than by shocks in faraway countries.
—Josh Ederington, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Air cargo will likely be reserved by many shippers to handle supply chain shocks rather than routine shipments.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Make sure the hand massager is completely dry before use after cleaning to avoid electrical shocks.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Renewable fuels offer a domestic alternative — one that is insulated from geopolitical shocks and driven by long-term energy and climate commitments.
—Kip Eideberg, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Investment implications For the most part, the stock market has shrugged off this year's alarming headlines, as geopolitical shocks historically have little lasting impact on equities.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Former detainees and human rights organizations have documented systematic torture and severe abuses inside the facility, including beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged stress positions and other degrading treatment.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Crypto‑market Researchers and Analysts can develop more robust models for forecasting or scenario analysis by including both crypto‑native variables, such as supply, adoption, and network activity, and macro/market-wide variables like liquidity, global economic conditions, and demand shocks.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
By contrast, in the United States, employers are not required to offer or contribute to a retirement plan at all – a fact that shocks many workers with pensions.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That moment is similar to one in the show where another closeted hockey star, Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) shocks the world by kissing his secret boyfriend on center ice after winning a championship.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026
That can change if a patient has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, which shocks the heart back to beating normally.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Violence shocks neighbors Neighbors said the violence unfolded in just seconds.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Rather than comply, Deborah shocks everyone by telling the audience the truth and loses her show.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
The thing that outrages, the thing that shocks, the thing that elicits the greatest response, and the greatest response of all of those emotional reactions is outrage, is fear, is shock, is anger.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Attack shocks in nation with strict gun laws Australia has some of the world's strictest gun control measures, and mass shootings are relatively rare.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Someone’s unexpected behavior might push you to set new boundaries or make a financial move that shocks even you.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
Noun
-
But demonstrating this beyond a shadow of a doubt proved in some respects more challenging than actually creating the elusive plasma itself, with the case for success strengthening as RHIC’s numbers of collisions soared.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sports already take severe head impacts and concussions seriously, with protocols to remove players after collisions.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then John surprises her by showing up at the Calvin Klein showroom for a new suit.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Further insight into what surprises the new season may bring, can be found below in the character descriptions for the new recurring cast.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Nora starts to leave the room, Cantrell scares her, showing that Nora had the cream all over her face.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The only person on this earth who scares me is God.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Simons also gave Boston timely jolts of off-the-bench scoring.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Elsewhere, jolts of intensity come from human hands turning round knobs in real time.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
What amazes me is how good human beings can be in a crisis.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Jury selection also underscored how widely the impacts of social media — both good and bad — are felt among disparate groups of people.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Climate cooperation was also predicted to weaken as the impacts of temperature changes reverberate.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Nicole Kidman stuns in an orange ensemble while in Paris, as Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have a rare date night at the Armani Privé show during Paris Fashion Week.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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